Key facts
- The U.S. Treasury Department lifted sanctions on Theint Win Htet on Friday.
- Theint Win Htet is the daughter of Myanmar businessman Thein Win Zaw, accused of supporting the military junta.
- Htet sued the Biden administration seeking removal from the SDN List.
- Htet stated sanctions interrupted her studies in the U.S. and blocked her credit cards.
- Justice For Myanmar denounced the U.S. move, calling it deplorable.
The United States on Friday lifted sanctions on Theint Win Htet, the daughter of a Myanmar businessman accused of supporting the country's military junta. The decision by the U.S. Treasury Department followed a lawsuit filed by Htet seeking her removal from the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List (SDN List).
The sanctions, imposed after the 2021 coup, freeze U.S. assets and generally bar Americans from dealing with targeted individuals and entities. The Treasury had previously targeted Htet's father, Thein Win Zaw, his family, and his company, Shwe Byain Phyu Group of Companies, for importing and distributing petroleum on behalf of the military regime.
Htet argued in her lawsuit that she has no active role in her father's business affairs and that the sanctions had interrupted her studies in the U.S., where she completed a bachelor's degree at New York University and was enrolled in a master's program at Columbia University. Her complaint stated that her U.S. credit cards were blocked and foreign bank accounts restricted or closed.
The move to lift sanctions comes amid reports that the Trump administration had opened talks with Myanmar's military-installed government, a reversal of previous U.S. policy aimed at isolating the generals. However, it remains unclear if the decision on Htet was a direct result of these talks.
Campaign group Justice For Myanmar criticized the U.S. action, stating it was "deplorable" that the U.S. government continues to delist individuals who fund the junta's actions, especially as the Myanmar military escalates attacks on civilians.